Speak Up
by Nature9000
Summary: For years Cat has kept to herself and held back her tongue for fear of using the wrong words, but fueled by her brother she begins to volunteer at a place that begins to give her a bit of courage. When she notices a caller that begins to sound like Trina Vega, she starts to watch for a chance to speak her mind, but it may already be too late. A oneshot in parts
1. Chapter 1

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, a bit emotional at that, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end. So read with care. I wanted to call it "Say Something", but I didn't want people getting confused with the song and thinking that this was connected to a song. There will be a few time shifts as this spans over a short period of time. Of course, I have to let you know that it got so long I needed to separate it into 6 short parts.

-SAY SOMETHING-

Catherine Valentine swept her hair over her ear as she drove into the parking lot of her new job. It was an unpaid volunteer job that she was doing for college credit during her junior year of high school, but she was nervous and it was her first day, so she didn't know how she was going to handle herself.

There had been many volunteer groups that arrived at Hollywood Arts and sought out students to help. Among these were the animal shelter, where Tori decided to volunteer, or the costume shop where Jade went to volunteer at. She wanted to do something more impactful.

Cat parked her vehicle near the front door of the building and shut off the car. Her eyes shot up to the building and she sucked in a heavy breath of air. "Here I go." She was unable to tell her friends that she was volunteering at this place because it could cause potential conflicts.

When she entered the location she met with the woman that would be supervising her. She was a tall woman with a statute appearance and long, feathery sand-colored hair. Her brown eyes held a kind and caring expression, and a sweet smile with mocha lipstick.

"Hi, I'm Cat Valentine. I signed up to volunteer."

"I'm Ruby Danica." The woman extended her arm and Cat returned the handshake. Ruby's grip was firm, yet gentle. Cat moved her eyes up to the woman's and smiled back at her. "I'm the coordinator, I would like to go over a few things with you before I let you begin. You understand we have rules set in motion for both your safety, and the safety of those who call our hotline."

"Yes ma'am." She understood one of the first things was she could not give her given or full name out, but that was one of the few things the representative said.

"For confidentiality purposes, you should not discuss what you are told over the phone with anyone. That said, we request that you not tell people that you volunteer here." She nodded and looked towards the right. There were several people walking around what was a large office building with various cubicles. "Let's go over some guidelines and things that you need to understand and I'll train you before we get you started. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

Training took an incredible amount of time, but Ruby had helped her to the point that she felt prepared when she first sat down at her cubicle. Her headset was heavy, and the mouthpiece seemed too close to her mouth, so she had to manipulate it to get it to a comfortable position.

After struggling with the headset, she signed onto her computer and closed her eyes. Part of her was scared of saying the wrong thing, or perhaps that whatever she said would not be enough.

Ruby told her that many people just call to talk. There were occasions when somebody truly needed help, but when they decided to call, it was a good sign.

_"I need you to understand something, Ms. Danica. I'm scared that I won't be able to say the right things." She looked towards the table and frowned as Ruby crossed her legs and leaned back in the metal chair across from her. _

_ "Why do you want to volunteer here, Cat? Everyone has a reason, it's okay if there's something personal in your past. Is there?" _

_ "There is." She ran her fingers along her knees, hoping to wipe the sweat from her palms off on her yellow skirt. "Someone very close to me, when I was younger, was having a lot of-" Her voice broke and her eyes became heavy as tears brimmed at her eyelids. She opened her lips and let out a rattled breath. "My older brother. He came back from Afghanistan , he was different. Depressed and didn't speak as much as he did. I tried to talk to him, tried to get him to open up to me, because we were inseparable when we were young I thought he'd…I thought he'd tell me what was wrong." She furrowed her brow and gripped her skirt as a tightness came over her chest. _

_ "Sometimes the trauma people go through affects them so deeply. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way they feel, it is tragic and unfortunate, but we should never judge." Ruby pressed her lips together and moved her palms together, bouncing them lightly in the air. "The thing you must remember is some people don't want that help, those who call our hotline are the ones that do, they want someone to talk to-to hear them. We have to do our best to be that person. Your brother, I am truly sorry for your loss."_

_ She wiped her eyes and cleared away the uneasiness in her throat. "Thank you. I really want to be able to help prevent-"_

_ "One thing to understand Cat. You cannot prevent it, but you can talk to someone and hopefully through talking you may enable the person to either seek help or think again. Remember that the action is not a selfish act, many people accuse that, and it only creates pain. The truth, Cat, is that some people get to a point where they can see no point in going forward. Never tell a caller something that so many do."_

_ "What is that?"_

_ "'Think about your family', or 'how could you do that to so and so'. You're telling that person that the reason they should keep going is for someone else, but you want to be a person who can inspire hope or foster in someone a sense that maybe they can help live for themselves. That's where it counts."_

Cat typed out her profile for Ruby and looked towards the active call on the side of the computer screen. She could hear phones ringing in the other cubicles, though she didn't hear talking. Primarily each cubicle was closed off so that a counselor would have privacy and not lose confidentiality.

As the hours passed, she'd received a number of calls from people who wanted to talk. There were people who were depressed, people who were afraid of a coming medical diagnosis. There were even those who felt like they were at the ends of their rope with something, but no one that was considering the end of their life.

It wasn't until she had an hour left that she received a call from a woman with a startling tone. She sounded frustrated, but was also struggling to speak through her sobs. Cat removed her fingers from the keyboard and pulled the corners of her lips back into her cheeks as the woman's sobs struck a chord in her heart.

"Ma'am?" She tried her best to keep calm, hoping that the woman would start to relax if she heard her soft voice. "My name is Kathy. I'm here to talk." As the woman spoke, she thought there was a familiarity in her tone, but that wasn't the first time she heard people who sounded familiar yet weren't familiar at all. "Is everything okay?"

"No," the woman cried, "Everything is wrong. It hurts so bad, my chest." The woman's anguished scream sent chills down Cat's spine. For a moment she was afraid she might be talking to someone that had already hurt themselves. She wanted to call for Ruby, but remembered she needed to be a constant presence. Any second leaving someone alone could be detrimental.

"Tell me what happened, sweetie."

"My heart hurts, my chest hurts from crying." Cat's eyes started to water and she took a slow, calming breath. She was exhausted and wanted to go home, but she felt it was her duty to stay on line with this caller. "I got this number from the counselor's office at school…no one's home…so I wanted to call. My daddy's coming home in half an hour, so I just want someone to talk to so I don't feel alone."

"I understand." She smiled slightly and leaned back in her chair, pulling her hands from the desk. "Do you have a good relationship with your dad?" The girl sniffed loudly and scoffed.

"No. He ignores me. Everyone does, nobody even wants me around."

Cat tilted her head and brushed her lips together. "What makes you say that?" For a minute everything went silent, so Cat had to check the active call to see if they were still connected. If she lost the caller, she would have to redial just in case. Fortunately the girl started to talk.

"Everyone tells me that. So it must be true. Maybe I try too hard, but I do it to get attention."

"Do what?"

"Act out. I just dress extravagantly, sometimes act like a drama queen because I want attention. I want people to like me, to want me around. My sister? She ignores me, her friends all hate me, and my parents don't even act like I exist. It didn't used to be like that, it used to be better. I used to get along with my sister, but now I feel like I have to fight just to be in the same room with her. I don't like to be alone-I really hate being alone, it scares me so much the thought that I'll never be good enough for anybody. I'll grow up without friends, without family, without someone who cares about me…I'll die an old maid."

"I see." She leaned to the right and brought her hand up to her cheek. "You know, I worry about that myself sometimes. I worry that I'm not good enough to be a part of my friends' lives, thinking I always have to please them, but you know what keeps me up? Realizing that I should focus on making myself happy."

"I wish it were that easy for me, but it's not. Every day I face rejection, I face hatred, and every day it gets harder…It's to the point where I just can't deal with it anymore." It sounded like someone she knew who was always being attacked by Jade and the others, she was always afraid to say anything for fear of them turning onto her. "My own dad doesn't even want me here anymore, he wants move away and stop bothering him when I leave for college."

"Why do you stay in an unhealthy environment?"

"I can't go anywhere. I don't have a job and it's cheaper to live at home than it is to on campus somewhere. Plus, I really don't want to be alone. I can't stand being alone…" Cat nodded and looked up at the clock. It was getting late, but she'd be willing to stay later if she had to. "Kathy, my Dad's driving into the driveway. I think I'm going to go downstairs and greet him."

"Okay." Cat looked to the extension number on her mousepad. "I'm available to talk at extension 3871. Remember the hotline is open twenty-four seven. Any one of the responders here will be happy to talk with you should you need to contact us again."

"Thank you for talking with me."

"You're very welcome."

* * *

I was asked to do this by a friend of mine, and inspiration also comes from an episode of Ghost Adventures in which they talked about the Golden Gate Bridge.

So I have to separate this in parts because of how lengthy it became. Because it is meant to be a oneshot, I am giving it all at once-so do not jump on me for putting multiple chapters up at a time-I have to do that with this.


	2. Chapter 2

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end.

* * *

-SAY SOMETHING-

The next morning, Cat joined the others at Tori's home for a game of poker. They sat around them, each chatting about their volunteer job, but she kept silent about hers. "The dogs are adorable," Tori chimed. Cat smiled at her and picked up her cards. "I walked the perimeter with a few of the dogs, then played with the puppies. Have you ever been licked by several tiny puppy tongues at once?"

"No I can't say that I have," Jade snickered, "But I'm not a big dog fan. I like them enough, but not that much." Cat looked around the house to see if she could see Trina anywhere, it wasn't like the girl not to make her presence known whenever they were around.

Cat nudged Tori in the side. "Hey where's Trina?" Tori's eyebrow rose and she turned her head. The girl shrugged and motioned her thumb to the stairs.

"In her room. Why? What do you care?"

"Just wondering. She's usually nearby whenever we're playing poker." Jade laughed, and her harsh laugh pierced Cat's ears painfully.

"I like her better when she's not here," Jade replied. Cat frowned at the girl, then looked down to her cards. She remembered the woman from last night, and was nearly brought to tears by Jade's statement. "Besides, it's not like any of us want her around. Hell, even Tori doesn't give a shit about her sister. Right Tori?" Cat lifted her head slightly and glanced at Tori from the corner of her eyes.

Tori was focusing on her hand as though it were a novel. Her brow was furrowed and her body seemed to tense. After several seconds, Tori uttered her answer. "Sure. She's just a nuisance, that's all."

She wanted to ask if Tori really believed that, or if she was just saying it to please Jade. Still, it didn't feel like her place.

When she heard the guys laugh, it broke her. Their attitude didn't usually bother her so much, but after her volunteer work, she was feeling too uncomfortable in this situation. She didn't want to say anything though, for fear of them ridiculing her.

"That reminds me of what happened a few weeks ago," Beck snorted, "Back when Jade and I were broken up for a little bit." Jade glanced over while Andre and Robbie shared a high five. "We were messing around with Trina over here, just wanted to teach her a lesson. She called Mr. Vega down and we made him think she was insane."

Cat looked at Tori as the men continued to brag about what they had done. Tori had moved the cards a bit closer to her face. Her eyes were slanted and her eyebrows were raised while her lips had grown thin. Frown lines embedded in her cheeks and her eyes started to roll.

"What happened?" Jade inquired. "I didn't know about this." Neither did Cat, so she was curious to find out what was going on.

"Well you see…" Andre raised his hand and pointed over to the kitchen. "At some point Beck pulled her away while Robbie and I were going at it, he held her in place for a bit until she broke loose and called her daddy down." Cat lowered her cards and kept her eyes on Tori. "We pulled out our puppets and hid behind the couch when he came down and asked what was going on, and we told him she was just going nuts and we were doing nothing."

"He actually believed us," Robbie said as he muddled over the cards in his hand. "He looked like he had a headache or something, just didn't want to be bothered, so he told her to go far away when she went to college, then left."

Cat's heart sank and she thought back again to the things the woman that called in last night said. One of which being that she was afraid her own dad wanted her to go away.

When she looked at Tori, she saw the girl turn her lips up into a smile, but her eyes were still narrow and the smile didn't look sincere. "You really pulled one over on dad and Trina, that's funny guys. I'm sure she deserved it." Tori's feigned smile faded and she tossed one of her poker chips in to the center. "I'm raising the pot. Twenty-five."

"You okay Tori?" Jade tossed her chips in and looked at Tori with an arched eyebrow.

"Should something be wrong?"

"Just thinking, usually you've got more to say."

"About Trina? There's nothing to say. I agree, I hope Trina leaves us alone, who cares? It's more fun without her." Tori was lying and Cat could tell, but she suppressed every urge to point it out. Primarily because she felt like if she pointed it out, she'd be throwing Tori under the bus and inviting Jade to start attacking her. "Cat? You're up."

Cat blinked and looked to the pile of chips, she didn't see the boys throw theirs in. Her eyes drifted to the cards in her hand, she had what appeared to be a straight. Though she also had a pair of Queens in her hand.

"Oh, right." Her eyes drifted to the stairs, and to her shock, she saw Trina sitting at the top step. The girl was watching the group with a heavy expression, her lips were pressed tightly together, her arms were crossed and folded on the top of her knees, and her messy hair covered her eyes. "I uh…I fold…" She put her cards down on the table and crossed her arms, staring blankly at them for the remainder of the hand while her heart continued to pound out the guilt of silence that was eating away at her.

This behavior went on until the next time she was in at the center. She approached Ruby's desk somewhat meekly and pressed her thumbs together at her waist. Ruby looked up at her with a gentle smile and leaned back in her leather chair. "Do you have a question, Cat? You can just go right to your cubicle, I know you're here."

She lowered her hands and heaved forth a heavy breath. "No I do have a question, actually." Ruby closed her hands around her knee. Cat took a seat across the desk and furrowed her brow. "There's this person I know-personally. I um, I don't really know how to respond."

"What's the problem?"

"Well, I have this friend, you see." She cleared her throat and looked towards the ceiling as she struggled to find a way to explain the issue she was combating. "Her sister is, I think a bit of a loner." She rubbed her shoulder and looked back at Ruby. The woman was still holding a firm, compassionate gaze and listening eagerly. "But I have these other friends, mutual friends with this girl, and they're always talking about her sister."

Cat tugged at the bottom of her dress and folded her fingers over the edge. She looked down at her knees and shook her head. "They're always putting her down, or treating her badly, and my friend doesn't say anything about it. I think she's afraid of something, maybe afraid of conflicting with them or something, I don't know what." Ruby raised a hand to her chin and curled her forefinger just beneath her lower lip.

"And?"

"It's always hurtful. One of them is a really mean person-and I don't think she knows what she says is so damaging, but it really is. We were playing poker a few nights ago and they were laughing about something they did to this girl, and my friend just sat there with this look on her face-I could tell it upset her, but she just avoided the whole thing…didn't even see her sister sitting at the top of the stairs."

"I see." Ruby moved her hand down to her desk and hummed for a second. "Have you taken time to know this girl? Your friend's sister."

"No, I don't know what to do. I feel like if I say something, it's just going to start a fight with my friends. I don't want to cause trouble."

"Does nobody say anything?" She shook her head and watched shamefully as Ruby closed her eyes. The woman's nails tapped once on the desk, then she slowly moved forward and clasped her hands together. "Cat, sweetie, these friends of yours may not know what they say is bad but if no one corrects them how will they know? Your friend, the one whose sister is in question, have you considered she is afraid of what you are afraid of? Perhaps if you assert yourself, she will see that it is okay, and she will speak up too."

She rubbed her arm looked to the side. "I don't know." Her stomach twisted and she took another deep breath. "I feel like my friend might actually agree with them, but I honestly don't know. Should I also talk to my friend's sister?"

"If you think that's best." Ruby's smile held and the woman leaned back once more in her chair. "The key thing to remember when somebody calls in on the hotline is to be an active and willing listener. You don't have to talk, most people who call in just want someone that will hear them, that will hear their story. The same applies for those who are around you, Cat. Just because you volunteer here does not mean that you cannot take an active role in the lives of those you know."

"I think I understand." She stood up and smiled back at the woman. "Thank you."

"If you need anything else, you can always come to my office." She nodded and left feeling relieved and satisfied. She was still not sure how to handle things with Tori and the others, but she hoped maybe she could figure it out. Otherwise, having Ruby to talk to was very helpful.

It was not long before she got a call from the same girl she'd spoken with before. Only this time she wasn't hysterical, but there was a seriousness in her voice that bothered Cat very deeply. "Is this Kathy? I was hoping to talk to you and wasn't sure if I had the extension right."

"You've got the right person. How are you today, miss?" Once again she spoke calmly, wanting to ensure that everything would be okay.

"I don't know. Would you judge me if I said I think I hate my family?" Cat pursed her lips and reached up to her microphone, adjusting it a ways from her mouth.

"I would not." It was not her job to judge, and to be honest, in this particular job she shouldn't. Remembering what Ruby said, she kept quiet so as to let the girl do most of the talking. "Why do you hate them?"

"Hate is a very strong word, I know, it's just…Look I don't _hate_ them, I just don't know what to do. My parents ignore me, my sister constantly berates me and lets everyone treat me like trash." Cat's eyes drifted up into the air and her lips fell. This was starting to sound oddly like Trina, but she didn't want to suggest it because the two people could be completely different rather than one in the same.

There was a long pause and Cat started to worry about the silence, but before she could check to make sure the line was still connected, the girl spoke up. "Have you ever been to San Francisco, Kathy?"

"Once or twice." She had family that lived near that area, but they were never close. The last time she visited them was when she was a little girl. "Why?"

"I'd love to visit. I want to see the Golden Gate Bridge, you know? It's so magnificent, I think." Cat smiled slightly and closed her eyes as the girl continued on about the famous, and infamous bridge. She knew about its impact, and how not only was it a grand monument, but it claimed many lives. "Some days I just picture myself standing on the bridge and looking down at the sparkling waters below."

"It's a breathtaking sight."

"Yeah it is." Cat turned in her chair and folded her hands on her abdomen. "Can I ask a hypothetical question?" She hummed a confirmation and opened her eyes partially. "Do you think it's possible to survive a fall from there?" Her heart stopped and creases appeared on her forehead.

It was only a hypothetical question, but she did want to make certain there was on risk of this girl trying to figure out. "Well, I haven't heard any survival stories. It's so high up, I don't know what the chances are, is there some reason you're asking, dear?"

"Oh no, not at all. I just…wanted to know." The girl chuckled once and cleared her throat. "I'm just fascinated with the bridge and with its story. I think I may like to visit it one day. Just to see it."

"Perhaps you should ask your sister if she'd like to go?"

"As if. She doesn't want anything to do with me, she only cares about her stupid friends." Cat turned back towards her desk and rolled her swivel chair forward. She exhaled through her nostrils and looked towards her computer screen, watching the lines of the screensaver shoot across. "I've tried to talk to her, but every time I do, she doesn't want to hear it."

"Perhaps you should tell her how important it is that you talk, and she will listen?"

"No. She's always either too busy, too stressed out, or just thinks I'm too stupid to be worth any of her time." She heard someone calling in the background and then a period of silence followed.

She waited on the line as she was instructed to do, but her mind drifted back to the issue of Trina. She wanted to know how she could help that girl, but it was possible she could learn through helping this person, but that seemed impossible by way of phone.

After a while, she heard a click, then the girl's voice. "Sorry about that, Mom's calling me downstairs. Supper's ready, I guess. I wouldn't be shocked if it's already cold and everyone else has eaten. Thanks again for talking to me." Cat started to respond, but the girl hung up almost immediately.

She opened her journal that she'd been using for notes and began writing her thoughts over the conversation. The mention of the Golden Gate Bridge was concerning, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. Regardless, the only thing she could do was hope the girl called back.

* * *

That was part two. You probably have your thoughts about the caller, it is not intended to be a secret either, obviously


	3. Chapter 3

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end.

* * *

-SAY SOMETHING-

On the following Tuesday, Cat joined Jade at the community pool. Beck was waiting there and Tori was going to show up in ten minutes. The pool was nearly empty that evening, but they were surprised to see Trina swimming on her own. She was doing laps from one side to the other, and on occasion she'd go under and swim to the top.

When the girl spotted them, she stopped and looked up with wide eyes. Jade looked from Trina to Beck, who had been watching for the last five minutes. Of course, Trina seemed equally shocked to see him, so she didn't know he'd been there. "What are you doing here, Vega?" Jade leaned to the right and crossed her arms.

"Swimming. What does it look like?" Trina swam over to the edge and pulled herself out of the pool. Cat started to move towards a lounge chair, shaking her head as the girls spoke.

"You must be quite the fish."

Cat raised an eyebrow as she sat down. It was no secret that Trina was athletic, the girl had been a part of the martial arts classes at the school and was always down here at the pool from what she'd seen.

"Yeah, I love swimming." Trina wrung out her hair and shrugged. "Ever since I was a little girl, I would always be in the water." Cat's lips curled into a smile and she leaned back, closing her eyes. "I could live and die in the water."

"Right. Well here's the thing, Trina. We've all got the pool for a while." Cat opened one eye and instantly frowned. "So I think we'll be spending time here. You should probably go ahead and go home." She sat upright and placed her palms on the chair between her legs. She slanted her eyes at Jade, mentally disapproving of the girl. "I mean, if you want I can text Tori and ask her if she wants you to stick around."

"Like I need yours or my sister's permission to swim in the _community_ pool." Cat felt a sense of pride and smirked as Trina moved past Jade. Jade turned around and rolled her head to the right.

"Tori did say she called ahead and reserved the pool for us for about an hour. If you want, you can come back then."

"An hour, Jade? It's going to be dark then. I'm not jogging home in the dark."

"Oh well." Jade shrugged as Trina grabbed the towel from a nearby chair. "I don't think you have to worry. It's not like you're attractive enough for any of the night prowlers." Trina froze and Cat threw her hands up over her mouth. She heard Beck shout his girlfriend's name, but the damage had already been done.

Jade's eyes widened and her lips formed a circle, it seemed she was realizing what had just come out of her mouth. Cat wanted to get up and smack the girl across the face, though. She knew the girl could be virulent from time to time, selfish even, but she never thought Jade could be that cruel.

Her eyes turned onto Trina. Trina was clutching her towel tightly and her body was trembling violently. It was difficult to make out the tears that mixed with the water on her face, but as Trina's eyes started to slant, Cat could see her eyebrows rising in the middle and her lips forming a deep frown.

"Fuck you, Jade."

"Trina, I-" Trina wasted no time leaving, and just as she did, Tori entered. She was earlier than they thought she would be. Tori looked over her shoulder, watching Trina take off, then turned back to Jade with a concerned look.

"Um. What just happened?"

Jade shook her head and turned away from Tori. "I uh…" Jade feigned a smile and shrugged. "I don't know what it is. Your sister's just acting crazy as usual. You know how it is, I guess she thought she had the pool to herself."

"Strange." Tori walked to the chair next to Cat and set her stuff down. Cat tried to swallow her anger, and while she wanted to voice her dissent, she still felt afraid of asserting herself. She did consider telling Tori, but refrained when she heard the girl whispering to herself. "I would have invited Trina to stay, but maybe that's just me."

Cat didn't know what to do, but remembering what Ruby told her about speaking up, she wanted to let her friend know what was on her mind. "Tori, do you realize you let them have their way?" Tori's hand fell to her waist and her brow furrowed.

"What? Trina's got problems…"

"Do you honestly believe yourself when you say things like that?" Tori pursed her lips and dropped her hand. Cat stretched her legs out and leaned back in the chair. "Honestly, I wonder if you even hear yourself. You sound like you don't even care about Trina."

"That isn't true. I love my sister very much!"

"Oh really?" Cat narrowed her eyes and pointed to Jade, who was bending over the pool and looking at something that was floating around. "Because Jade just told her you wanted this place to yourself, and essentially kicked her out. What more, she pretty much told Trina not to worry about night prowlers because she was too ugly!"

Tori's lips parted and she looked over to her friend with great concern. "What? Come on Cat, Jade's mean, but-" She cut Tori off and got up from the chair. Her stomach had risen to her throat and her entire body was burning with pain. "I don't feel good. Enjoy the swim, I'm going home."

"Cat, come on…"

"No. I don't feel comfortable right now." She left the pool without a further word, leaving Tori upset. Jade and Beck were baffled as well and said something, but Cat couldn't hear them.

Once she rounded the corner, she saw Trina sitting beside a building. She was hunched over and her hand was on her bare stomach. Horrified and remembering the position her brother's body had been found, she raced towards Trina and placed her hand on the girl's wrist.

Trina's body flinched and the girl snapped upright, screaming in shock. When she saw Cat, she relaxed and looked to her eyes. Cat moved her hand to her chest and exhaled sharply. "What the hell, Trina. Why are you sitting here like this?"

"I don't know, I just wanted to rest." Trina rolled her head to the right and leaned it back against the building. "Too upset to walk-what do you want?"

"I couldn't stay there." Cat helped Trina to her feet and looked in the direction she left. "You know, Tori did say she really wanted to invite you to stay." Trina pulled her hair back and looked at her as though she were insane. Though it was the first time Cat saw Trina's eyes. Her eyelids were red and puffy, and she had tear streaks going down her cheeks.

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"Jade wouldn't have said what she did."

"Come on Trina, you know Jade. She's just mean for her own reasons-I'm not justifying but she's got problems and she takes it out on other people. You shouldn't blame yourself." Cat folded her arms and motioned her head to the pool. "If you're up to it, we could both go back."

"I'm not going back. It's not worth it. I'll swim elsewhere."

"Where?"

Trina started walking and turned around, smacking her hands outwards with an angry scoff. "I don't know, maybe the ocean." Cat frowned and watched Trina turn and pick up the pace. "When I was a girl, I dreamed I was a mermaid-always wanted to be one. Maybe I should drive out to the ocean some day and jump in. Be a mermaid."

"Be a…mermaid?" Figuring Trina wanted to be left alone, she let the girl go on ahead. Then secretly followed her from a distance to make sure she got home safely. Once there, she hid behind a fence when Trina stopped at the driveway where her mom and dad were waiting.

"Oh Trina." David sounded aggravated and stressed, which didn't seem like a good sign. Their car was running and it looked like they'd been fighting. "I thought you'd be at the pool for another hour."

"Tori's friends kicked me out. Are you disappointed?"

"Do you have to be home right now?" Cat's heart stopped and she moved her hand up to her forehead. Holly looked up at her husband and he sighed. "Look Trina, I'm sorry. It's been a rough day, and-"

"You don't have to say any more, Dad. I get it. You don't want me around-nobody wants me around." Trina rushed into the house and Cat pressed her back up against the fence, growling in frustration. Holly smacked David on the stomach and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Why do you talk to her like that, David?" Cat opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You never treated her that way growing up, what the hell is wrong with you?" David snorted at his wife and brought his hands to his chest.

"Me? What's wrong with _me?"_ His voice rose and he laughed out at Holly. "What about you? Going around behind my back with my best friend and partner at work, ignoring the girls on a daily basis. I'd ask you the same goddamn thing."

"Oh don't you start on me." Holly pointed to the house and her tone snapped out aggressively at the man. "You know I review the security footage from the cameras you set up in the house to protect our family. Those boys lied to you about what they were doing to the daughter that used to be the most important thing in the world to you-and what did you do? You completely blew her off! You told her you wanted her to leave!"

"I was under stress Holly, I had a bad day of work. Quit nagging me, woman!"

It was then that the sound of a slap hitting flesh echoed into the air. Cat could almost feel the vibrations hitting her body and she was certain she saw David go down. For once she agreed with Holly, David was letting things get too far out of hand.

"I know I've done wrong, but David Ramón Hector Vega, you're the one breaking this family apart." Holly put her hands to her hips and leaned forward as the man rubbed his face. She sniffed his breath and narrowed her eyes. "And you've been drinking too?" She threw her hands up in the air and screamed her frustration. "No wonder you said what you did to your daughter. You were drunk! You're a drunk and you're a workaholic! You wonder why I've been cheating on you."

"Holly-"

"Oh don't you dare." Holly shoved him back and turned away from him. "The girls get along fine with Gary. I'm about this close to taking the girls and moving in with him."

"I love my daughters, Holly."

"That's why she's in her room crying her eyes out every single day. Sure you do." Holly stormed off, leaving David calling after his wife in vain. Eventually he ran up to the house, but couldn't get inside. Holly locked him out.

Cat peeked around the corner and saw the front window of the house open up. Holly poked her head out and started shouting at him again. "Stay the hell outside and go find a motel or stay with your sister. I don't want to talk to you until I've cooled down."

"Holly!" Cat's eyes widened as Holly slammed the window shut. She watched in fear as David nearly put his fist through the window before turning around. When he did, she hid back behind the fence to avoid being seen. "Damn it."

* * *

I was a little concerned about the harshness here, but it is mainly right and it all services the plot, pushing it along.


	4. Chapter 4

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end.

* * *

-SAY SOMETHING-

"Things are getting really bad with my friend," Cat informed Ruby the next time she was in, "Her sister really seems like she's in terrible shape and I don't know what to do." Ruby ran her thumb over her chin and flattened her eyebrows.

"Do you suspect she's in danger? At risk of harming herself?"

"I honestly don't know if she's at that point or not, but she really does seem like she's getting close to that point if she isn't there. My friend isn't helping much, but it really just seems like her friends are causing the bulk of the issues. I don't know how to tell my friend to stand up for her sister."

"Sometimes it doesn't happen like that, unfortunately." Cat whined momentarily and closed her hands on top of her legs. Ruby stood from her desk and walked around to the front, then sat on the edge. "Your friend may not see what she needs to see until it's too late. You can always try to show her, but sometimes we don't see what we need to see but what we want to see."

"I don't understand. I should think it'd be easy to see something like that."

"Not always dear." Ruby crossed her legs and tangled her fingers together, resting her hands on her knee. "Forgive me for opening this wound already, but let me ask you a question, painful as it is." Cat held her breath and nodded carefully. "When did you start to see the signs that your brother was going to end his life?" Her heart stopped and she bowed her head.

"I…" She never saw the signs, but was she supposed to? "I always felt bad, I never saw-never knew."

"And that's completely normal. You shouldn't blame yourself, either, because ultimately it was his decision." Cat looked up and started to raise her voice, irritated over the words.

"You're not about to tell me that if I had known, I shouldn't have tried to stop him because it was his decision to make?"

"No. Not at all. The point of that is understanding the psychology and the mental state of a person ready to take their life. They will not wish people to know, because they know people might try to stop them-whether or not they feel anyone cares. When someone has reached the point of time where they're ready to take their own life, people always want to say that they must consider how it will affect someone else…but the truth is, that person likely already feels that no one else is going to worry about them. They have possibly thought long and hard about it, and see absolutely no other way out. It's sad, it's tragic, but it's their decision. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to help them, because what we do here is not trying to stop them from taking their life but we try to offer them hope-or to try and help them see that there might be another way."

She understood now, but she didn't know still how she'd be able to help someone see another way besides taking her life. She was shaken emotionally from thinking about her brother, and she didn't want to see that happen to someone else. Part of her was terrified that Trina was heading down that road, and she knew it would crush Tori, but she didn't care. She cared only about helping Trina now, if there was a way to do so.

"So you're saying my friend might not see what her sister's going through until it's too late?"

"That's right. If you suspect this girl is contemplating suicide, you should not be afraid to report it."

"That's just it. I don't know. She may not be…but I'll keep watch just in case.'

"Good."

Cat moved slowly to her cubicle. Everything weighted on her mind but she couldn't stop thinking about what was going on with Trina. She hadn't asked Ruby about the issue with the parents fighting, but she figured that couldn't be a good sign.

The same girl from before called in eventually, asking for her. She was pleased to hear from her, as it was a sign the girl was still around. "How are things?" She asked. The girl smacked her lips and sighed.

"Not well." She frowned and folded her hands over her stomach. "Mom and Dad might be separating." She cringed and shook her head as the girl let out another defeated breath. "Mom's got this other guy. That guy's nice and all, my sister and I get along great with him, but she wants to leave Dad for him."

"And you don't want that?" The question came back to her on whether or not this was Trina, but she knew she couldn't flat out ask. It wouldn't be good to reveal herself, because there could be a breach of confidentiality. "Your dad means a lot to you?"

"Sure, or he did, before he became an asshole. Now he wouldn't give a shit if three men were left alone in the room with me." It was mentioned offhandedly, but Cat had already been hanging onto every word. When she heard this, she straightened her back and began to feel an emptiness in her stomach.

"What do you mean?"

"My sister's friends. Manhandled me, lied to my dad." Cat moved her hand up to her mouth and glanced at the doors of the building. She still couldn't be certain and still didn't want to make any assumptions, but the similarity was uncanny. "I shouldn't be so surprised they do this to me. I mean they call me all sorts of names, tell me how ugly and unattractive I am or how nobody will ever give a shit about me."

Her hands trembled at her desk and her heart broke as a rush of anger went coursing through her veins. Tears formed at her eyes and she tried to keep her anguished cry inside, but it was a struggle.

She had to observe further. "Hey, you know something else, Kathy?" Cat hunched forward, perching her elbows on the desk and pushing her hands into her hair. She could taste the salty tears now as they framed her lips. "I found a shop that had a model of that bridge we talked about a few days ago."

"Golden Gate?" She could hardly speak without a quiver. Her right hand fell to her chest and she sucked in a heavy breath of air. If the call _was_ Trina, then the good thing was that Trina was trying to find someone to talk to, but the bad thing was this caller sounded like she was just emotionally getting into worse shape.

If this caller was Trina, then Tori's friends were not healthy people to be around, but there still was nothing she could do. Ruby always said that someone contemplating suicide might be helped by a person willing to listen, so maybe if Trina was-hopefully-nowhere near that point, she could just start talking to her.

"I was thinking of setting it up, but I don't know. I'd rather see the real thing." Cat's eyes closed and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Ma'am, I'm wondering something. Are you athletic?" She heard the girl chuckle for the first time, and it was music to her ears.

"Yeah I'm an athlete. It's nothing special, though."

She grinned and clasped her hands together. Finally, she thought, she had some foundation to work on. "What do you do?"

"A little of a few things. I love to swim, and I'm big on martial arts." That was another statement that struck Cat hard, yet another telltale sign that this person could be the same girl she saw sitting on the steps in Tori's home. "In fact, another few months and I could be eligible to be a black-belt. After that, the coming summer, I think there's a tournament with one of the prestigious martial arts academy. I was thinking about it, but I don't think I'd be good enough to get in."

"Why not?"

"Well I think the prize goes to the top five fighters, and that's a scholarship-maybe even a full ride." The girl's newfound excitement delighted her, but she knew at this point it might be good to start suggesting places for her to go and find help. She pulled up a list on her computer, then a map of the city.

"By the way, can I ask where you're calling from? Is it Los Angeles?"

"Yeah. East side, close to Hollywood Arts." She checked the list, and more specifically entered the address of Tori's home just in case. Tori was conveniently located within the same vicinity. As the list updated, she saw three counseling offices. One was headed up by a man named Henry West, Jade's father, so she wasn't going to suggest him on the off chance that this girl was Trina. However, there was a higher rated counselor for depression who was half a mile from Tori's home.

"Would it be okay for me to suggest something, ma'am?"

"Sure. I guess."

"There are three counseling offices near your area that treat depression. Would you be willing to go to them?" She waited on the line for what seemed to be an eternity of silence. The call was still active, so there was a chance the girl hadn't hung up.

She finally spoke up with an uncertain tone. "Do you think I might be depressed?" Cat took a deep breath and started to nod, but said nothing as the girl continued to speak. "I don't think there's anything a counselor can do for me."

"They can offer a present and active ear. You can do as you do with me, just talk and find ways to work through the things that you are struggling with."

"No. I don't think so. Thanks anyway."

The caller hung up not too long after that, leaving Cat disappointed and unsatisfied. The conversation remained fresh on her mind over the next few days, leaving her incredibly silent the next time she got together with Tori and the others.

"Tori. I have to ask you something." She sat beside her friend on the couch and looked over her shoulder. The guys were at the kitchen counter, and Jade was getting something from the fridge. They weren't within earshot, so she wasn't concerned with them hearing anything. "What would you do if Trina were to hurt herself?"

Tori's arms tensed and she turned her eyes away from the television. Cat winced under Tori's offended expression. "Why do you think she'd hurt herself?" She had to say something, there was no reason to be silent as she'd done for so long, and she needed Tori to understand how important it was to speak up and defend her own sister.

"You don't think she's been depressed lately?"

"I haven't noticed." Cat rolled her eyes as Tori crossed her arms and looked over to her friends. They had begun laughing, which piqued Cat's interest as well. "I mean she was recently stood up by some guy that asked her out." She kept her eyes on the phone in Robbie's hand, but frowned at Tori's words. "Also, Mom's very seriously thinking of moving us out, leaving Dad and moving in with Gary."

"Gary? Do you two like him?"

"He's not a workaholic like Dad is." Tori shrugged and turned her head away from the laughing friends. "Plus, he's almost always been at whatever function we had going. Trina seems to get along with him, and I don't mind him. It could be better for everyone, but I don't know how it would affect Trina. Not sure if she would take it well, considering how much she loved Dad growing up, but if she's felt badly, she hasn't said anything."

"So she hasn't been acting strange?"

Tori scratched her chin and exhaled sharply. "Now that you mention it, she has been oddly quiet at dinnertime. Less talkative than usual, and I tried to ask what was bothering her but she went back to her room." Tori dropped her hands to her knees. Jade's laugh split through the air, causing Cat to flinch. Tori rose to her feet and pulled her hands up to her waist. "She's been building a model bridge in her room, I did see that yesterday."

Cat froze partway in getting up from the couch. Her heart dropped and her eyes darted back to Tori, watching as the woman went over to her friends. "What's so funny?"

"Just this picture I snapped," Andre laughed, "I posted it online." Cat shook her head and walked over, peering down in astonishment at the photo. Tori's hand flew up to her mouth and she turned partially from the group. "Your freaky sister does it again."

Trina was sitting in the middle of a store aisle, covered in sauce. Shards of glass surrounded her, and beside her was a caution sign warning about a spill. In her hand was a cell phone.

"Yeah apparently she was on the phone and didn't see that there was a nasty ass spill on the ground." Tori pulled her hand to her chest and turned her head over to Andre. Cat simply stared at the girl, waiting in irritation for her to say something about this behavior, but when Tori remained silent, she did everything in her power not to lose control. "She slipped, fell against the shelf next to her, and this pasta sauce fell over her."

Tori cleared her throat and closed her eyes, and Cat observed a shake running along the girl's body. Instead of waiting for nothing to happen, she decided to say something now while she had a chance. "And so you thought it'd be funny to take a picture and post it online for everyone to see?" She raised her voice and Tori looked over with wide eyes. Andre flinched and the others looked to her with shock.

"Well I mean, it was funny at the time…"

"I'm taking it down." Cat grabbed his phone away and moved to his facebook, hoping that it wasn't too late and the picture could be taken. "You didn't think for one minute to help her up? Do you people ever not think about yourselves? I'm beginning to think Sinjin was right about every one of you."

"What does that-"

"You know damn well what that means, Andre." She found the photo and struck the delete button, then proceeded to slam the phone onto the table, causing Andre to scream in terror. When she looked at Tori, she could see the girl's lips quivering as if she were attempting to hold back a smile. "Where is Trina right now?"

"She left about five minutes ago," Tori replied, "She said she was going to the airport to catch a plane." Cat's heart stopped and she looked to the door, feeling a sudden rush of horror come over her. "I didn't know she was planning a trip, but she said she was only flying out to San Francisco. Said 'I love you', then headed out."

"No." She let out a startled gasp and glared at the friends. Each of them were now concerned by her behavior, and murmuring about something being. "All of you stay here. Tori, you're coming with me." She grabbed Tori's wrist and began pulling her to the door.

"Why? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, first we need to get to the airport." She could get a plane ticket, and knew the flight to San Francisco wasn't for another hour. Her mother worked as an airline stewardess, so she had access to this information as well as a discount on tickets. She didn't know if her hunch was correct, but if it was, she had to reach the Golden Gate Bridge. "Do you know how much of a fascination your sister has with the Golden Gate, by chance?"

"She talks about it a few times, about how she'd like to visit. Why?"

"That's where we're going."

Tori's eyebrows moved together and her face fell with concern fear. "What?"

* * *

I think Ruby is a very good mentor to have. At this point it does all come together for Cat, you see the good thing is she has the strength to say something now


	5. Chapter 5

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end.

* * *

-SAY SOMETHING-

They managed to get to the airport with more time than Cat anticipated, and was able to secure a ticket for the flight. She could feel her heartbeat quickening with each passing moment, and once she was on the plane, she tried in vain to find out where Trina would be.

She even had Tori check the family bank account they had, and as she suspected, there'd been a hefty charge for a flight out to San Francisco. When they arrived, they grabbed a taxicab and drove to the bridge, parking in front of the sign posted on the monument that gave the suicide crisis hotline number.

"Cat, what is going on?" Tori's voice was more anxious now and her hands were trembling on her kneecaps. "You haven't said much of anything to me. Why did you want me to come along?" She'd been silent for fear of rebuking Tori too harshly, or scaring the girl by suggesting what she was afraid of.

She reached into her purse and grabbed some cash for the driver. "Keep the meter running," Cat ordered. She then pushed open the door and turned to Tori, who was staring at the sign on the bridge. "You stay here, got it?" Tori's fingers tightened on her knee and she started to whine. "It's for your own good."

"I don't understand."

If Trina was on the verge of what she feared, she didn't want Tori to discover that. Finding her own brother's body was something she didn't feel she would ever get over, and she didn't want Tori to have to live with seeing her sister die. "Just stay here."

She left the car in a hurry and slammed the door. Thinking fast, she grabbed her phone and dialed Trina, hoping that she'd answer. "Come on," she breathed after two rings. "Pick up." She scanned the edge of the bridge and felt the rivets of adrenaline rushing into her veins. "Pick up, Trina, pick up."

Cat began running down the bridge, looking on both sides and hoping she could find any sign of stopped vehicles or Trina among the pedestrian path. After another ring she let out an anguished cry. "Pick up, for god sake answer the damn phone Katrina."

There was one final ring, but it was cut short, and to Cat's relief she could hear wind on the other end. "H-Hello?" Trina's voice was shaky and loud as she tried to speak over the wind.

"Thank god," she whispered. She stopped momentarily and looked around. "Trina it's Cat, I was wondering where you were."

"Cat? You sound…familiar." She heard a pause and used that moment to search the pedestrians. "I don't mean like my sister's friend familiar, I mean…"

"We'll have time for that later. Where are you?" She pulled back the wind blowing her hair into her mouth. She could hear sobbing on the other line, so she decided to let Trina cry as she walked down the path.

"San Francisco. I'm on…the bridge."

"Tori said you were there." Using what she learned from Ruby and her volunteer work, she spoke with a calm and collected voice, despite the terror that was inside. "Funny. I'm in San Francisco too."

"You're her, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Kathy. You're Kathy. All this time…" She closed her eyes and slowly nodded.

"Yes. I didn't realize you were the one calling in."

"You never said anything. You just let them walk all over me, just like Tori, you just held your tongue. Why were you even working for a crisis hotline?"

"Because." She set her hand on the railing and leaned over, trying to peer down the outside edge. In the distance she could see somebody standing on the opposite end of the railing, with one hand clutching the orange bars and the tips of their feet hanging off the bottom edge. The girl had her phone to her ear and was peering down at the waters below as the wind whipped her hair and clothes in every direction.

Her heart stopped and she tears formed in her eyes. It was Trina.

"I never knew what to say, always afraid it was never going to be enough." Cat leaned back and started walking, knowing that if she ran she would begin to pant and give Trina an indication of her presence. "I found my brother's body. Slumped over behind the house." Her voice broke and she started to cry, but pushed through the pain of her memories. "He committed suicide, Trina."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He never told anyone what was wrong, we never had an inclination. He came back from the war-different. Changed. I always wondered if maybe I tried to talk to him about it, would it have made a difference?"

"Maybe. Would you have tried to stop him if you knew?"

"I think maybe that's why he didn't say anything. He didn't want people to know because he knew someone would want to talk him out of it." When she finally reached Trina, she stepped behind her and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't want to talk you out of it or stop you because I know you have your reasons for this decision, but I just want to talk…please talk to me."

Trina's body tensed and the girl turned her head over her shoulder. Cat could see the tears in her eyes and the streaks on her puffy, red cheeks. She lowered her hand from her face and started to whimper. "Cat? I'm scared…"

"I know you are. So am I." She took a deep breath as Trina carefully turned around and returned the phone to her purse. Once the girl gripped the beam with her other hand, Cat slowly reached forward and wrapped her fingers around Trina's hands. "Tori's at the entrance of the bridge in a taxicab, she has no idea what's going on."

Trina's eyes widened and she started to shake her head. "Why is she here?"

"Because someone needs to show her that she needs to speak up. I haven't told her because I don't know what's going to happen, I acted on impulse Trina. I told her to stay in the car because honestly, I don't want her to see this." Cat shook her head and blinked several times to get rid of the tears in her eyes. "I want to understand what you're going through, Trina. You've always cut the conversation short on the hotline, so please talk to me. Will you talk to me?"

"Y-Yes." Trina pressed her head against the railing. Her body trembled and Cat could feel the girl's grip around the bar tightening. "It's just too much. I don't know how to deal with it anymore." Trina lifted her head up and stared at the pedestrians passing by. "Look, no one even cares that I'm standing here."

"I'm here, Trina, and I care." Trina's chest trembled and another sob tore from her lips. "Tell me what the problem is. Help me to understand."

"You wouldn't understand. You're one of them."

"Who? Jade and the others?"

"Yes!"

"They took me in during a hard time in my life, but that doesn't mean I approve of what they've become since then." Trina pulled one hand away and Cat held her breath until she saw the girl wiping her tears. She released her breath and relaxed her body.

"I could handle them if everything they said wasn't true. My dad really doesn't give a shit about me anymore, mom only cares about herself and is constantly ignoring me, and then Tori? Tori's the worst of them all." Cat held onto Trina's gaze with compassion and an eagerness to listen, thinking of Ruby's advice. "She's the worst because she enables, she _allows_ her friends to do what they do to me."

It was hard seeing Trina so willing to throw her life away because of these people, but she had to understand that in the girl's mind, it wasn't like that. In her mind, she felt she was going to remove the pain of their opinions by taking her life. She didn't care what they thought of her anymore.

"There have been sixteen hundred suicides on this bridge."

"I know how many." Trina sneered for a second, but it made Cat nervous and anxious to keep holding on to the girl. "I know I'll just be another number, and that's all I'll be to anybody."

"But to those that knew you, do you know what they're going to say? They're going to call you selfish, they're going to say you threw your life away because of some mean-spirited punk ass bitches." Trina's mouth flickered into a smirk and the girl chuckled once as Cat started to smile.

"I know, but I don't have to care anymore once I jump."

"You don't have to kill yourself to save yourself from the pain you're struggling with. You don't have to end your life."

Trina scoffed loudly and turned her head to the right. "And I suppose you're going to tell me to think about the people who 'love me'? That my suicide will be selfish?"

"No. Not at all."

"Then what?" Trina snapped her gaze back to Cat and narrowed her eyes. Cat felt her heart lunging from her chest and struggled to breathe through her tears. "What does my life mean to anybody, Cat? Because according to fucking Jade West, I'm nothing-a nobody that no one will ever give a shit about."

"You know she says that about everyone, right? Even Robbie. She's not worth the pain you're suffering." Cat spoke firmly and clearly, hoping she could get her point across. "She is _not_ worth it. None of them are worth it." Trina's shoulders fell and she put her head against the railing. The girl pushed her arms through the bars and wrapped them around to stabilize herself as she started to weep. "I found out what Andre did, I made him take down that picture of you in the store. I see the way Tori looks when they talk about you, I know she's afraid of starting a fight, just like I am, but honestly…I will find a way to get her to speak her mind, even I will, but know that none of those people are worth all this pain and heartache that you're going through."

"They said I was ugly, Cat. They say nobody wants me. I got asked out a few days ago, and the guy stood me up! That pretty much affirms it. My own parents ignore me, with my dad telling me to go far away when leaving to college."

"Your dad is a drunk nowadays, from what I'm understanding. Or at least, he's got a lot of stress. It doesn't justify what he says or does, but I can tell you this again-even your father isn't worth dying for. He's a bum that hangs out at the bar my uncle owns, drinking while he goes over cases." Trina's eyebrow rose and her lips parted as Cat cleared her throat. "I've seen the man there, and you're going to take your life because of him? You're better than he is, Trina. You're better than Jade West and the others, and their words should hold no power over you. What did they do to earn the right to play a role in whether or not you die? When did they become worth your suicide?" Trina cried out with a sob.

"I just want to be happy. I can't be happy."

"I think you can."

"How." Trina screamed above the whistling wind, nearly knocking Cat back as her voice pierced her ears. "I have nothing, Cat."

"Not true." She remained calm and pushed her arms through the bars, then wrapped them around Trina. She felt the girl trembling in her arms and started to weep with her. "Trina, you're an athlete. You have your martial arts, and you told me that you were on your way to getting a black-belt."

"You remember that?"

"Yes. I do." She turned her head and smiled as she looked into Trina's glossy eyes. "I also remember you said there's a tournament coming up, and someone from a prestigious academy is going to be there offering scholarships as a prize. The top five fighters. Trina, don't you want to see if you can do that?"

"I-I probably could make it, I don't know." She sniffed and closed her eyes. Cat began to notice the murmurs around her, the first sign that a crowd was starting to develop. Fortunately they weren't getting involved, which she was glad about, because she wanted to keep in control of the situation. "Do you think I could?"

"Well. Can I confess something to you?"

"Mhm."

"I've seen you in that class of yours." Trina's eyebrows rose and she gasped. "It's on the way to one of my classes, so I've watched, and I have to admit you're pretty good. One of the best I've seen." Trina laughed nervously and shook her head.

"I doubt that."

"Oh I don't know. That flip you did a while back? The midair kick? I bet you could crush the competition at that tournament. You're beautiful, you're strong, and I think you could show up everybody by winning that thing."

"I don't know."

She rolled her head to the right, watching as Trina's quivering eyes studied her own. "I'd love to see it, even." She curled her lips up and brought her left hand up to pull Trina's hair away from her face. "Give yourself a chance to see if you could make it. I fully believe you can."

She meant every word as well, she thought Trina was a good fighter and wanted to actually see a few more matches come from her. "You're not just saying that?" Cat shook her head and recalled Robbie's story about how Trina took out all three of them.

"Not at all." She lowered her hand back to other and her smile deepened. "Actually I thought it was great when Robbie talked about how you took out him, Beck, and Andre all at once. You're strong, Trina, and very capable."

"What about…all the things they say about me? I can't even get a guy to go on a date with me."

"That isn't your fault. You're going to find someone one day, you've got so much time." Trina started to hold her breath, then peered down at the water below. When the wind shook her, she tightened her arms around the bars and cried out. Cat smiled at this, as it was a good sign. "You wouldn't have called that hotline if you didn't want someone to talk to, Trina. If you weren't having doubts. I'm here for you."

"Why can't I get a guy to go out with me? Maybe I act too crazy, but that's when I'm around my family-I just wanted some fucking attention."

"You won't have to act like that, just be yourself. As for a guy, maybe you're just looking in the wrong place and finding assholes instead of genuine people. Have you thought about any of the guys in your class?"

"No." Trina glanced to the right and shrugged. "But there's this cute guy at the martial arts studio down the street from my place. He was visiting our class, trying to talk people into going to some camp or something to study and train. He said it would be good for the tournament coming up, that's how I know about it."

"Oh, well there you go. You could do that!"

"You think mom and dad would go for it?"

"I bet if you told them you wanted to do it, they would. Just be passionate about it." Trina looked down again and Cat followed her gaze. The water appeared like a swirling vortex, with its ripples hitting the sailboats below with great power. "Would you be happy, Trina? Would you like to see if maybe you can bring some happiness into your life for yourself?"

Trina looked back up and frowned at her. "Maybe." Whenever she heard Trina talk about martial arts over the phone, and even now, there was a distinct tone of thrill in her voice. This was a key influence, and she wanted Trina to see that.

"You want to be happy, but you're relying on everyone else to do that for you. The only person that's going to make you happy is yourself, and you need to find something that does that. By the sounds of it, athletics is where it's at."

The wind shook the girls again and Cat felt Trina's arms go loose. Her heart stopped and she held Trina's gaze as the girl clutched her back and dug her nails into her shirt. "I don't want to fall." Trina's scream echoed into the air and Cat felt a rush of joy and relief. She was tempted to cheer, but too scared to let go of Trina right now. "H-Help me."

"Trina, can I ask? Will you be my friend?" Trina's eyebrows closed together and she started to whimper. Her forehead fell against the bars and her shoulders rose and fell at a quickened pace. "I could use a friend to talk to, to share things with. The others are a bit judgmental, so I never feel like I can talk to them. Maybe you'd like to hang out sometime. Saturday, perhaps?"

"I think I'd like that."

"Good." She heard another scream of terror, but this one came from the bridge. The girls turned to look and to her dismay, she saw Tori standing ten feet away with a look of terror on her face.

"Trina, what are you doing?" Tori ran for them and Trina flinched. The girl put her arm through the bars and reached around her sister's back. Fresh tears poured from her eyes as she held onto her. "Oh god."

"Relax," Cat urged, "Just take a deep breath. Everything's fine…" Right now Trina didn't need anybody freaking out, which was why she'd been fighting to stay calm all this time.

"My sister is about to throw herself off a bridge and you're telling me to _relax?"_

"No," Trina whispered, "I don't want to." Tori looked at her with wide and misty eyes. Cat's heart leapt up to her throat and she signed with contentment. "I wanted to, I really did, but there's something I want to see through. I don't think I am ready to go yet…"

"I'm not letting you go, Trina." Tori's grip tightened around her sister and Trina looked up into her eyes as Tori's lips thinned and flattened against each other. "Don't think for one minute that I am letting you go." Cat heard a siren and leaned her head back to look past Tori. There were police cars racing down the bridge.

She let out a sigh of relief and looked back to the sisters. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

* * *

So this is the tense part, obviously. By the way, don't confuse this oneshot for a thing against bullying-it has _nothing_ to do with bullying, but bullying plays a role in this obviously.


	6. Chapter 6

Speak Up

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This oneshot is a serious oneshot, and I do want to get a message through it so there's something I will leave in the author note at the end.

* * *

-SAY SOMETHING-

Upon arriving at the house, Tori stormed inside first and Cat followed the other sister in. Their friends were sitting around the kitchen table as though they never left, despite all the time that passed. David and Holly were on the couch. Also at the couch, but standing behind, was Gary. His firm hand was on David's shoulder and his lips were stretched out in a thin line.

Holly stood up, her hands moved up around her tear stained face and she reached out to Trina. "My baby." Trina looked startled as her mother approached and threw her arms around her. "Sweetheart." Holly pulled her daughter in, sobbing hysterically.

Gary had been on duty in Los Angeles when the news reached the police there about there being a possible jumper on the bridge in San Francisco. When he found out it was Trina, he was the one who had to relay the news.

Tori's friends started to stand, but she immediately ordered them to stay seated. Her face was red from anger as well as stains, and her breathing was heavy. "This is your fault. You guys know that, right? My sister could have died today, and I bet none of you would have cared."

"That's not true," Beck replied astonishingly.

"Bullshit." Tori brought a hand to her forehead and threw her other hand at the door. "Nevermind. I can't even look at you guys right now. Just leave."

"Don't let them going without knowing they've done wrong," Cat said quietly. The others looked at her and Jade pursed her lips. "You know you've made mistakes too by not speaking out, you should have said something a long time ago. They probably don't even realize they ever did or said anything wrong to begin with. They thought it was okay to treat your sister like a piece of trash." Tori put her hands to her hips and bowed her head slightly. Her mouth turned downward and her eyebrows peaked in the center. "So don't even think about holding your tongue anymore. You don't have to shout, but you do need to let them know what the problem is. Stop being afraid of getting into a fight."

"You're right." Tori looked at them in the eyes, then narrowed her glare when she turned upon Jade. Jade crossed her arms and the others exchanged nervous glances. "I'm tired of listening to all of you step over my sister, calling her all sorts of names and telling her how worthless you think she is. You think you're better than her, but in reality, you're no better than the people you abuse."

"So sorry to displease you, your highness." Jade rolled her eyes, then proceeded to do a brief curtsey. "Don't forget you're also the one who said shit, or are you the perfect princess?"

What came next startled everyone. A slap echoed through the air and silence followed as Jade's hand flew to her right cheek. Jade looked at Tori with wide eyes and opened her mouth, but Tori silenced her and pointed a finger at her.

"I know I've done wrong, Jade. I acknowledge screwing up and I know I treated my sister badly. I did it because I thought it was important to win favor with you. Now I see I was wrong, and my mistakes almost cost me my sister-my best friend, someone who I was close to long before I ever knew you."

"I can't believe-"

Cat was impressed, and a bit proud. Beck put his arm around Jade's shoulders while Andre and Robbie approached them. "Either shape up and get with the program Jade, or get out of my life." Tori crossed her arms and stared at the others. "That goes for the rest of you as well. I love having you as my friends, but when you treat the people I love like dirt and then justify your actions by pointing your finger at me when I know I've done wrong, then I start to wonder…So either fix your problems, or go away. While I want to have you guys as my friends, I'm not losing someone I love because you don't know how to keep your own mouths shut."

The friends left without a single more, of course that meant Beck had to push Jade out the door before she attacked Tori. Tori watched them leave with tears in her eyes and slowly shook her head. "If I had said something from the start, it wouldn't have come to this. I was just afraid to speak out." Tori turned to her sister and dropped her hands down to her sides. "Trina, can you forgive me?"

Cat watched Trina move to her sister and hug her. She felt another surge of pride as the girls cried together. She looked at Gary and David, and was amazed to hear Gary telling the man to start paying attention more to his family, and that the three of them-which included Holly-should sit down and talk things out.

Things very likely wouldn't be smooth sailing from here, but at the very least Trina was willing to seek some therapy for her depression. When Cat told Ruby what happened, the woman was impressed with her and said she'd be happy to keep Cat on as a regular volunteer, which she gladly accepted.

Things were rocky for Trina at first, but she was glad her family was trying to take a more active role in each other's lives. Eventually all of the friends came around to accepting they'd done wrong, and Jade was glad that Tori said something because it made her think more about how she'd been treating people, and this thinking was solidified when she thought more on Trina's attempt. Unfortunately, some of the friendships couldn't be mended and eventually fell apart.

Trina did go on the camping trip and returned to tell Tori and Cat how she met someone who actually cared about her and wasn't trying to trick or hurt her. The man was the same person she spoke of on the bridge, and he was very supportive and helpful in teaching her how to advance in the martial arts training.

This led her to reach the top five winners at the tournament, granting her a full ride to the prestigious martial arts academy.

Cat was there with Ruby at the after-party the Vega's threw. Jade and Beck congratulated Trina, since they did try to be friendlier with her. Gary was there as well, but as a family friend-David and Holly were able to mend fences.

"I'm glad I was able to assert myself," Cat said while looking up to her mentor. "I always thought remaining silent was the safe choice, but I see now that talking things out and saying something where something is needed is crucial."

"I'm glad you see that," Ruby replied, "I am proud of how you handled the situation. You know you saved that girl's life?" Cat watched Trina hug her sister and smiled to herself as the girl looked over.

"I like to think that by saying something, I gave her a little hope to cling to, but yeah. I'm glad that I made an impact."

"You see, Cat." Ruby placed a hand to her shoulder and Cat's heart skipped as the lady gave her a smile. "Your words _were_ enough." She wiped away a tear and replied with a nod. "Your older brother may not be here, but I'm sure wherever he is, he's smiling down on you. Don't ever forget the power that your voice can hold."

"I won't, Ruby."

She saw Trina hurry over and grinned as the girl took her hands. "Cat, we're about to cut the celebration cake. You get the first slice, come on." She laughed once and let the girl drag her off.

Never before did she think she could make a difference in someone's life, nor did she believe she could ever be important enough to have her opinion count for much.

Watching Trina with her boyfriend cutting out a large slice of cake brought a strange tear to her eye. _"This person is here because I had the courage to talk to her? To make an effort?"_ Sure, sometimes things didn't work out like that and talking didn't do much, but now she understood that if someone didn't at least try, then they would never know for sure.

* * *

So with that said, I leave you with a few thoughts. If any of you have gone through this, or know someone who has or is going through depression, do not be afraid to talk. Let that person know they're important to you, remind them of the things that are important to them. Everyone can use a friend.

For those of you that are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please reach out to somebody. There is help everywhere, but if you can't go to your family or friends, know that there is a number that you can call. The suicide hotline, which is obviously portrayed in this oneshot, is open 24/7 and they are there to talk to you, and they are completely confidential.

1 800 273 TALK and 1 800 SUICIDE The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline a 24/7 hotline for callers in the United States


End file.
